General News
2014 ST. LOUIS BLACK FILM FESTIVAL Starts Saturday at The MX Theater
The Third Annual St. Louis Black Film Festival will be September 6-14 2014 at the MX Theater at 618 Washington Ave. in downtown Saint Louis. All the films screened will be new movies and not only will the fest feature feature-length films but music videos, short films, and short documentaries as well.
The St. Louis Black Film Festival provides the American Midwest with a forum for African American independent film and video, and also serves as an advocate for African American film and video production in the state of Missouri. The Festival seeks to introduce the best films and videos from the surrounding area to its culturally diverse, film-loving audiences STLBFF was initially established as a vehicle for exposing Black cinema. The event was green-lighted after recognition that though St. Louis is the largest city in Missouri, it did not have a viable Black film festival. Independent filmmakers with films featuring a Black, African American, African, or African Diaspora subject matter or that feature a Black, African, or AfricanAmerican as a central or starring character will find that SLTBFF offers an outstanding opportunity to present their film before sophisticated and eager audiences.
Tickets for film programs September 16-18, 2014 at MX Theater at 618 Washington Ave. are $10 for each day of the fest. They can be purchased each day or night of the festival at the theatre or at the MX site HERE
HERE IS THE SCHEDULE FOR THE 2014 ST. LOUIS BLACK FILM FESTIVAL:
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6
STEP UP will screen at 12 noon on September 6th: The documentary STEP UP will tackle three main points. First, when speaking about fathers and broken homes, inherently the issue of single mothers and their struggle must be addressed. “Step Up” chronicles the everyday struggle of single mothers and why fathers leave. Secondly, the documentary will expose the results of broken homes and lack of fathers. We will listen to street outreach workers giving viewers first hand knowledge on the impact of broken homes, the effect on children, and where they end up. Lastly, but mostly importantly, the film will focus and investigate on solutions to solve the problem of broken homes. Runs 55 minutes
THE CULTURE will screen at 1:30pm on September 6th: The documentary THE CULTURE sheds light on gun culture in Americ,a focusing on urban and suburban neighborhoods. It breaks down & investigates the environment, results, and motives of our gun culture. Runs 55 minutes
CRAZY BEATS STRONG EVERY TIME will screen at 3:00pm on September 6th: One night, after returning to the New Jersey projects with a crew of his friends, Markees, an African-American twenty-something, finds a drunken African man passed out in his building hallway. After ridiculing the man, the young men realize that the he is actually Kofo, Markees’s Nigerian-immigrant stepfather. Motivated by shame and the restraining order his mother has placed on his stepfather, Markees drags the unconscious man into his car in order to find him a more suitable place to sleep. But as the night dwindles on, the young men become increasingly aware of the futility of unloading the stepfather. Tensions build and frustrations mount, forcing the situation toward a violent end. Can Markees reject the pressures of urban machismo and his own youthful pride before someone actually gets hurt? Runs 27 minutes
THE YOUNG OSCAR MICHEAUX will screen at 4:15pm on September 6th: Based on Oscar Micheaux’s best-selling book, THE YOUNG OSCAR MICHEAUX tells the extraordinary story of a courageous and fiercely determined boy who desires to make race movies after witnessing the brutal lynching of his people after Emancipation. Runs 16 minutes
FIRST BASE will screen at 5:00pm on September 6th: Amanda is a victim of rape and becoming HIV Positive, and she is hiding these major secrets from her current partner as he tries to get her to have full out sex with him….will she overcome her past? Runs 21 minutes
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7
BOUNCE BACK will screen at 12:00 noon on September 7th. BOUNCE BACK is a coming of age dramatic short film dealing with the issue of homelessness. Runs 30 minutes
ILLUDE THE MOVIE will screen at 12:45pm on September 7th. A detective is on the hunt for a criminal mastermind all while protecting his family and battling past addictions. Runs 28 minutes
THE DAY I ALMOST WENT POSTAL will screen at 1:30pm on September 7th. Documentary on bullying in America – the true story of Marshelle D. Woodland. Runs 18 minutes
RIGHT HAND MAN will screen at 2:15pm on September 7th. Runs 13 minutes
STL THE MOVIE will screen at 2:45pm on September 7th. Experience life growing up ion 0ne of America’s most dangerous cities. With drug trafficking and gun violence running rapid, how does one deal with life’s everyday twists and turns? Runs 70 minutes
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 8
MOMMA’S OWN will screen at 6:00pm on September 8th. A mother confronts a pimp in the effort to save her daughter from a life of prostitution. Runs 24 minutes
BLACK COFFEE will screen at 6:45pm on September 8th. Robert (Darrin Henson) picked the wrong time to meet his soul mate! After being fired from his own father’s company, he feels like his luck has run out – until Morgan (Gabrielle Dennis) enters into his life. Just as things start to heat up between them, trouble brews as Morgan’s ex-husband (Lamman Rucker) vows to get her back and Robert’s gold-digging ex-girlfriend (Erica Hubbard) returns with an agenda of her own. With the help of his cousin (Christian Keyes), Robert’s about to find out how much good can come out of a bad situation in this charming romantic comedy that’s good to the last drop. Runs 82 minutes
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 9
KNOCKAROUND KIDS will screen at 6:00pm on September 9th. Two weeks in the lives of three troubled kids caught between the Massachusetts social welfare system and the dysfunctional ways of those ordered to protect them. Runs 83 minutes
THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE will screen at 8:00pm on September 9th. How does a poor, single, African-American mother from segregated 1950s America wind up as one of the worlds most notorious jewel thieves? A glamorous 81-year-old, Doris Payne is as unapologetic today about the nearly $2 million in jewels she’s stolen over a 60-year career as she was the day she stole her first carat. With Payne now on trial for the theft of a department store diamond ring, filmmakers Kirk Marcolina and Matthew Pond probe beneath her consummate smile to uncover the secrets of her trade and what drove her to a life of crime. Romanticized recreations, an extensive archive and candid interviews reveal how Payne managed to jet-set her way into any Cartier or Tiffanys from Monte Carlo to Japan and walk out with small fortunes. This sensational portrait exposes a rebel who defies society’s prejudices and pinches her own version of the American Dream. Runs 74 minutes
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN will screen at 6:00pm on September 10th. Sisters Olanna and Kainene return home to 1960s Nigeria, where they soon diverge on different paths. As civil war breaks out, political events loom larger than their differences as they join the fight to establish an independent republic. Stars Chiwetel Ejiofo and Thandie Newton. Runs 111 minutes
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11
LITTLE WHITE LIE will screen at 6:00pm on September 11th. LITTLE WHITE LIE takes a compelling look at questions of identity that are becoming ever more relevant as societies become increasingly multiracial. It is going to be aired on Independent Lens on PBS in 2015 and has been made with an amazing team involved including creative advisor Stanley Nelson and editor Toby Shimin. It also received the Tribeca All Access Creative Promise award and has been supported by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation, as well as the Hartley Film Foundation.
NO GOOD DEED will screen at 8:00pm on September 11th. Terri (Taraji P. Henson), a devoted wife and mother of two, lives an ideal life that takes a dramatic turn when her home and children are threatened by Colin (Idris Elba), a charming stranger who smooth-talks his way into her house, claiming car trouble. The unexpected invitation leaves her and her family terrorized and fighting for survival.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12
SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOTE will screen at 6:00pm on September 12th. SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOTE is an emotionally charged urban drama about a good girl whose best friend is murdered just before graduation. She gets caught up with Ace, a local drug dealer that takes her deeper into the violent futility of the streets. Runs 96 minutes
CHANGING FACE OF HARLEM will screen at 8:15pm on September 12th. CHANGING FACE OF HARLEM is a one-hour documentary that examines the revitalization of Harlem told through the deeply personal stories of its residents, small business owners, politicians, developers, and clergy. Identified as the birthplace of the Black Renaissance, Changing Face of Harlem takes a critical look at Harlem’s history, early development, and its present transformation. The film began production in the year 2000 and was shot over a period of ten years. Runs 63 minutes
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13
THEY LOST IT! will screen at 6:00pm on September 13th. A young man is upset by news that his father is planning to marry a woman he doesn’t approve of. To stop the wedding, the young man sets up a dangerous destructive plan which back fires.Runs 28 minutes
LAST LOVE LOST will screen at 7:00pm on September 13th. LAST LOVE LOST is a Love story where a young man almost lose his life, until he found love, which opened a new chapter in his life. He meets a young lady who is in a abusive relationship and tries to helps her get out. That turns into a tradegy and don’t end on good terms.Runs 83 minutes
For more info about the 2014 ST. LOUIS BLACK FILM FESTIVAL go to www.facebook.com/pages/St-Louis-Black-Film-Festival/179694092087006
or email jamesthemovieman@gmail.com
0 comments